These are some of our favorite easy and rewarding plants for the beginner native plant gardener. Source: North Coast CNPS Nursery Committee

Common Name Scientific Name Sun Height Type Humboldt Native
Common Yarrow
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Low
1 - 3 ft
P
Western Columbine
Western Columbine
Aquilegia formosa
Low
2 - 3 ft
P
Sea Thrift
Sea Thrift
Armeria maritima
Low
~ 1 ft
P
Showy Milkweed
Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
Moderate
4 - 6 ft
P
Beach evening-primrose
Beach evening-primrose
Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia
Low
~ 1 ft
P
Yerba Buena
Yerba Buena
Clinopodium douglasii
Low
< 1 ft
P
California Aster
California Aster
Corethrogyne filaginifolia
Low
1 - 3 ft
P
Seaside Daisy
Seaside Daisy
Erigeron glaucus
Low
< 1 ft
P
Coast Buckwheat
Coast Buckwheat
Eriogonum latifolium
Low
~ 2 ft
P
Scarlet Monkeyflower
Scarlet Monkeyflower
Erythranthe cardinalis
Low
2 - 3 ft
P
Beach Strawberry
Beach Strawberry
Fragaria chiloensis
Low
< 1 ft
P
Douglas Iris
Douglas Iris
Iris douglasiana
Low
1 - 3 ft
P
California Bee Plant
California Bee Plant
Scrophularia californica
Moderate
2 - 4 ft
P
Checker Bloom
Checker Bloom
Sidalcea malviflora
Low
< 2 ft
P
Blue Eyed Grass
Blue Eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium bellum
Low
1 - 2 ft
P
Yellow Eyed Grass
Yellow Eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium californicum
Low
~ 1 ft
P
Apricot Mallow
Apricot Mallow
Sphaeralcea ambigua var. rugosa
Low
2 - 3 ft
P
California Aster
California Aster
Symphyotrichum chilense
Low
1 - 3 ft
P
Piggyback Plant
Piggyback Plant
Tolmiea diplomenziesii
Low
~ 1 ft
P
Oregon Grape
Oregon Grape
Berberis aquifolium
Tall
4 - 7 ft
California Lilac
California Lilac
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
Tall
2 - 30 ft
Bush Monkeyflower
Bush Monkeyflower
Diplacus aurantiacus
Moderate
4 - 5 ft
Red Bush Monkey Flower
Red Bush Monkey Flower
Diplacus (mimulus) puniceus
Low
1 - 2 ft
Toyon
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
Tall
6 - 30 ft
Cream Bush
Cream Bush
Holodiscus discolor
Tall
3 - 16 ft
California Wax Myrtle
California Wax Myrtle
Morella californica
Tall
6 - 33 ft
Western Azalea
Western Azalea
Rhododendron occidentale
Tall
6 - 16 ft
Red Flowering Currant
Red Flowering Currant
Ribes sanguineum
Tall
7 - 13 ft
California Wildrose
California Wildrose
Rosa californica
Tall
8 - 10 ft
Nootka Rose
Nootka Rose
Rosa nutkana
Tall
6 - 10 ft
Western Thimbleberry
Western Thimbleberry
Rubus parviflorus
Tall
4 - 8 ft
White Sage
White Sage
Salvia apiana
Moderate
3 - 5 ft
Red Elderberry
Red Elderberry
Sambucus racemosa
Tall
7 - 20 ft
Bluff Lettuce
Bluff Lettuce
Dudleya farinosa
Low
< 1 ft
Broad-leaved Stonecrop
Broad-leaved Stonecrop
Sedum spathulifolium
Low
< 1 ft
California Poppy
California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica
Low
< 2 ft
A
California Goldfields
California Goldfields
Lasthenia californica
Low
~ 1 ft
A
Common Tidy Tips
Common Tidy Tips
Layia platyglossa
Low
1 - 2 ft
A
Baby Blue Eyes
Baby Blue Eyes
Nemophila menziesii
Low
~ 1 ft
A
Coast Phacelia
Coast Phacelia
Phacelia californica
Low
1 - 2 ft
A
Cream Cups
Cream Cups
Platystemon californicus
Low
~ 1 ft
A
Siskiyou Blue Fescue
Siskiyou Blue Fescue
Festuca idahoensis 'siskiyou blue'
Low
1 - 2 ft
Sword Fern
Sword Fern
Polystichum munitum
Moderate
2 - 6 ft